PUMPKIN PIE WITH GINGERSNAP CRUST

Inspired by a pie we had at the Westwood Tavern, I used a couple of different Bon Appetit recipes to put this together. Especially good with homemade whipped cream. I used the Trader Joe’s Triple Ginger Cookie Thins for the crust, and one of the little pumpkins they have – with the pie recipe stuck to the bottom. If you have time, making it from fresh is worth it, I think.

Crust:
9 oz. gingersnap cookies
1 cup pecan pieces
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger (optional)
¼ cup butter, melted

Filling:
1 small pumpkin OR 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
½ cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup milk
1 ½ tablespoons molasses.

Cook pumpkin: Cut in half vertically and scoop out seeds and strings and discard. Place cut side down on foil lined baking sheet. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 until tender, about 1 ½ hours. Remove from oven and flip halves over to speed up cooling.

Put cookies into food processor, then process into crumbs. May have to loosen with spatula to get even crumbs. Add pecans, brown sugar and ginger and process until nuts are finely ground. Add melted butter and process to blend. Dump into a greased 9” pie plate and press with spatula to cover bottom and up the sides just to the edge evenly. Bake at 350 until set and browned, 10 – 15 minutes, then cool completely.

Once pumpkin is cooled, scoop flesh into a medium bowl and mash or puree (I think an immersion blender works best). In a larger bowl, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, spices and salt. Whisk pumpkin into spice mixture. In the pumpkin bowl, beat the eggs, then whisk in the liquids. Add to pumpkin mixture, whisk to blend well, then pour into cooled crust. Bake at 350 until almost set in the center (it will be slightly jiggly) and puffed a bit around the edges, about 1 hour. This pie came out much darker than a typical pumpkin pie. Cool to room temperature and serve. Keeps well in the refrigerator.

LASAGNA WITH SPINACH, MUSHROOMS AND SAUSAGE

This is adapted from a Bon Appetit recipe Made this for a friend who’d just had a baby and she raved. The great thing about this is that you don’t have to boil the lasagna noodles. The second time I made it we used homemade fresh noodles, which just melted in the mouth. It does take over 2 hours start to finish if you’re making the sauce, so this is definitely a weekend project.

olive oil
1 lb. uncooked Italian sausage (sweet or spicy, pork/chicken or turkey)
1 – 3 Tablespoons butter
2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
about ¼ cup white wine
6 – 8 oz. baby spinach, roughly chopped
2 eggs, beaten
15 oz. ricotta cheese
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon pepper
9 uncooked lasagna noodles
about 8 cups TOMATO SAUCE
1 – 2 cups grated Parmesan
1 heaping cup grated mozzarella
1 heaping cup grated fontina

Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Remove casings from sausage, then cut into small chunks and brown. Remove sausage from the pan and reserve. Add butter, and then mushrooms, and sauté. Once the mushrooms have browned, add wine and sauté until the liquid is almost gone. Add spinach in handfuls, stirring in until it wilts. Once all the spinach is cooked, remove from heat and reserve.

Preheat the oven to 375. Beat together eggs, ricotta, basil, oregano and pepper. Spoon a cup of the tomato sauce into a 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish. Place 3 noodles (cover the area of the dish) over the sauce. Spread another cup of sauce over the noodles, and sprinkle half the sausage and then half the spinach/mushroom mixture over that. Spoon over half of ricotta mixture, then about 1/3 of the cheeses. Place 3 more noodles, then layer sauce, sausage, spinach/mushroom, ricotta and cheeses again. Place last layer of noodles, then another cup of sauce and the last of the cheese. Cover with foil and bake 30 – 40 minutes, until noodles are tender and sauce bubbly, then uncover and bake 15 – 20 minutes longer. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE

This is from Bon Appetit to go with Lasagne, and if you use the whole amount of crushed red pepper I imagine it will be quite spicy, but I did not, of course. It is a good basic sauce.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
¾ teaspoon dried marjoram
2 shakes – ¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper
6 – 8 garlic cloves, minced
2 28-oz. cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes, with puree
½ cup red wine
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper

Heat oil in large heavy bottomed pot. Saute onions with dried herbs until transluscent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another minute or so. Add tomatoes and wine and bay leaf and simmer uncovered to reduce liquid, for about an hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

PASTA WITH SAUSAGE AND KALE

This is adapted from an Epicurious recipe, but I was also trying to mimic a dish that is on the menu at Pitfire Pizza in LA that Morgan loves. Morgan loved it, Audrey picked out the sausage. Be sure to use reduced sodium chicken broth, or it gets too salty. Textures are great – kale comes out so silky.

olive oil
2 small sweet onions, sliced
1 lb. sweet or spicy uncooked Italian sausage (chicken or other)
2 cloves garlic, minced
big bunch kale, well washed, stems removed
½ lb. pasta of choice (original recipe called for fettucine, I used brown rice spirals)
1 cup chicken stock
½ cup grated Pecorino Romano

Heat oil in a large heavy skillet. Cook onions over medium heat until translucent, 8 – 10 minutes. Remove sausage from casings and add to pan, breaking apart with wooden spoon. Raise heat a bit and brown, cooking another 8 – 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.

Meanwhile, heat water in a large pot. Add kale, cook for about 5 minutes. Scoop out with a large sieve, drain, and chop roughly as soon as it is cooled enough to handle. Bring water back to boil and cook pasta according to directions. Drain when done.

Meanwhile, add kale to sausage pan. Saute for a few minutes to mix ingredients, then add stock and cook until it reduces by half.

Add cooked pasta and cheese and toss to combine. Serve with more cheese on top.

FRESH TOMATO, SAUSAGE AND BASIL PASTA

Adapted from one of the recipes that COOKING LIGHT sends me every day, this is a great use of any tomatoes and basil you’ve got left on the vine – so much easier than the typical recipe which asks one to peel and seed the tomatoes before using. Light but flavorful.


8 ounces uncooked penne
8 ounces sweet Italian sausage
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup vertically sliced onion
2 – 3 cloves minced garlic
1 1/4 pounds tomatoes, chopped
½ cup grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (chop right before adding to avoid browning)

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain, reserving ¼ cup of cooking water.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add sausage and onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring to crumble sausage. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in pasta, ¼ cup cheese, salt, and pepper. If it is drier than you’d like, add a bit of the pasta’s cooking water. Divide into shallow bowls and sprinkle each serving with remaining cheese and basil.

FRESH TOMATO PASTA SAUCE WITH CHICKEN

This was inspired by a Gourmet recipe that involved no cooking of the tomatoes – so you can skip that part and just mix the hot cooked pasta with the fresh tomato mixture and serve. I like the intensity that cooking a bit adds. Either way, only make this with really fresh tomatoes – from the Farmer’s market or the garden. Even heirloom tomatoes from Whole Foods will have been picked too long ago. You can skip the chicken, but the whole thing made for a nice light summer dinner. And you’ll notice that I have yet again snuck in some zucchini – gotta use that stuff up. Audrey liked the pasta, but scraped off the tomatoes and claimed that “the greens stuff” -- the basil -- was a problem because it stuck to the roof of her mouth.

2 chicken breasts, cut into approximately 1 inch strips
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons lemon thyme (or thyme/oregano/marjoram), minced

1 small garlic clove, mashed into a paste with
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 – 3 lbs. tomatoes, cored, seeded and roughly chopped
2 small zucchini, grated
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
pepper

1/ - ¾ lb. capellini pasta
½ cup fresh basil, chopped
parmesan cheese

Put chicken in a small bowl and toss with olive oil, juice, lemon thyme and some salt and pepper and let sit for 10 minutes or so.

Toss tomatoes in a medium bowl with garlic paste, zucchini, lemon juice, sugar and pepper to taste. Let stand for 10 minutes or so.

Heat a sauté pan (not non-stick) to medium high and add chicken, sautéing until browned and white all the way through. Remove chicken to a plate when cooked. You’ll probably have to do a couple of batches. Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Remove the sauté pan from the heat when you finish the chicken, but don’t wash it.

When the water is almost boiling, return the sauté pan to medium high heat and add the tomato mixture. Add the pasta to the boiling water. Cook the pasta according to directions (should be 3 – 4 minutes), simmering the tomatoes alongside, stirring occasionally. When pasta is al dente, drain it and then toss it in a large bowl with the tomato mixture and the basil. Serve with grated parmesan and chicken placed on top.

ORZO WITH FETA AND CHERRY TOMATOES

This is adapted from Gourmet. Its an easy and pretty and popular potluck item and a seasoned summer favorite. pun intended.

1/2 pound (about 1 cup) orzo
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup packed fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves, chopped
1 pint plus cherry tomatoes (preferably different colors), quartered
1/4 pound good feta, crumbled
1 1/2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

Fill a 4-quart pasta pot three fourths full with salted water and bring to a boil for orzo.

In a small heavy skillet heat 1/2 tablespoon oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and sauté pine nuts with salt to taste, stirring frequently, until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer nuts to paper towels to drain and cool.

In a large bowl whisk together garlic, parsley, vinegar, remaining tablespoon oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Add tomatoes and feta and gently toss to combine.

Cook orzo in boiling water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. In a large sieve drain orzo and rinse slightly until just warm. Drain orzo well and add to tomato mixture, tossing until just combined. Sprinkle with nuts and serve.

MIXED HERB PESTO WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES (AND MAYBE PASTA)

This is heavily adapted from Gourmet. I added the vegetable roasting as well as the potatoes. Everyone at dinner (except Audrey) loved this. It was a great side with grilled chicken and salad. My mom can’t have garlic, so this pesto was a good alternative. It is remarkably flavorful even without the garlic. A bit of work to pick all the leaves off of the herbs, but worth it, and a good kid activity.

4 medium carrots
3 medium zucchini
4 medium potatoes OR pasta of choice
olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a mandoline cut carrots, potatoes and zucchini into 1/8-inch-thick julienne strips. (Alternatively, using a sharp knife, halve carrots and zucchini crosswise and cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-wide pieces.) On separate rimmed baking sheets, lay out vegetables, single layer and toss each pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until brown, rotating trays in oven and turning occasionally to brown evenly. Using a paper towel, blot moisture away from the zucchini several times. Remove when brown (about 30 minutes) and set aside.
If using pasta, cook according to directions.
In a large bowl stir together pesto with roasted vegetables and/or pasta.
Mixed Herb Pesto:
1/2 cup packed fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves, washed well and spun dry
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, washed well and spun dry
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 1 1/2 ounces)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted golden brown and cooled
2 tablespoons lemon juice

In a food processor blend together all ingredients with salt and pepper to taste until smooth. Pesto keeps, surface covered with plastic wrap, chilled, 1 week. Makes about 3/4 cup.

SPRING VEGETABLE PASTA WITH BACON

This is from the Carrboro (NC) Farmer’s Market’s website. We will be back in NC and visiting this fantastic farmer’s market soon! Who ate this – Morgan! Who didn’t – Audrey!

½ lb. pasta (orechiette is recommended but I used spirals)
4 slices thick cut bacon, sliced into ¼” pieces
1 cup thinly sliced green garlic OR several garlic cloves, minced
olive oil
1 bunch asparagus, cut in ½” pieces
¼ cup white wine
½ cup chicken stock
¼ cup heavy cream
3 cups pea shoots OR 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

Put a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Then prepare according to directions. If using peas, add peas in with the pasta when it has about 8 minutes left to cook. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large saucepan until crisp. If there’s more than a tablespoon of grease in the pan, pour some off. Add garlic and sauté a couple of minutes. Add a bit of olive oil if dry. Add asparagus and sauté for about a minute. Add wine, turn heat up to high and sauté until wine is almost evaporated. Add chicken stock and reduce by half. Turn to medium low and add the cream. Let cream heat through. It will thicken slightly. Add pea shoots, if using, and wilt. Toss in pasta (and peas). Serve topped with grated Parm.

BASIL PESTO

This time I used the recipe in RECIPES FROM AMERICA’S SMALL FARMS, originally from Wood Creek Herb Farm. But its pretty much the same as the one in JOY OF COOKING. I love to make pesto – with the kids, again they like the food processor - whenever the basil is about to bolt. Then we freeze what we don’t eat right away, either in a clean yogurt container, or, even better, freeze the pesto in ice cube trays and then dump the pesto cubes into a Ziploc bag. When you want to use it, just take a cube or two out when you start boiling water for pasta and mix it in with the hot cooked pasta, which will melt it. Then you have yummy and inspiringly green pasta all winter. You can also substitute arugula and/or spinach for all or part of the basil. Pine nuts are traditional, but walnuts are local here (whereas at our TJ's pine nuts come from "China, Russia or Korea".

1/3 cup walnuts (I toast these a bit first)
2 – 4 garlic cloves (to taste)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup (or more to taste) grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, washed and patted dry (be careful to snip the leaves off at the stem – if you break the leaves themselves, they begin to blacken and your pesto won’t be as pretty)
¾ cup olive oil

Place the first four ingredients in a food processor and process until well combined and chopped. Add the cheese and do the same. Add the basil and do the same. Then, with the processor running, drizzle in the oil until the desired consistency is reached (you may not need all of it). Use immediately, refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze. NOTE: Every recipe I’ve ever seen says that if you plan to freeze, you should not add the cheese until you are about to use it. However, I always add the cheese and freeze it and use it later with no problem. I’m not sure what the problem would be – please enlighten me if anyone knows!

PASTA FAZOOL CASSEROLE

This is adapted from an Epicurious recipe – I added a few vegetables and used Beef Sausage with Basil and Garlic from my grass-fed beef guys (see their website link to the left). My husband, Morgan and mother-in-law all liked it; great leftovers as is usual with Italian food. Audrey ate the sausage. If you don’t have a Dutch oven (I do love mine!), you can do all the sautéing in a large saucepan and then transfer to a 9 x 13 baking dish.

1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 large onion, chopped (I used a bunch of spring onions)
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
2 – 4 carrots, diced
2 small zucchini, diced
1 28-ounce can crushed Italian plum tomatoes, with juice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 15-ounce can cannelini beans, rinsed, drained
Salt and pepper

1/2 pound small pasta, freshly cooked & rinsed (I used brown rice penne)
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
8 ounces Fontina, grated

Preheat oven to 400°F. Sauté first two ingredients in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until sausage is brown, breaking up with spoon, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and herbs and sauté for about a minute. Add carrots, stirring for a couple of minutes, then zucchini, stirring again. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and cayenne and simmer 5 minutes. Add beans and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Add mostaccioli, Parmesan and parsley and toss to combine. Top with fontina. Bake until cheese melts, about 30 minutes.

SIMPLE VEG & GOAT CHEESE PASTA

This is something I made up a few years ago and it is a solid staple for Morgan and I, though Audrey is very resistant. James thinks it is a bit boring. I added mushrooms this time around, but often do it with just spinach or other greens, and anything else that’s around and seems good. Go with a LARGE bunch of greens – they shrink a lot. I used the green garlic that I had left and omitted the onions this time. When cooking this kind of dish, I also use the eyeball and handful measuring system that I read about once in a yoga magazine – using your hands and eyes to measure, you are more connected to the food than if you are carefully using measuring spoons and cups.

large bunch of greens: Spinach or Chard is safest for kids
1 shallot or small onion, minced
1 – 5 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
salt and pepper

2 handfuls mushrooms, sliced (optional)
bit of butter
2 splashes white wine

pasta to serve your family – shape of choice

zest of one lemon, plus a few squeezes of juice
chunk of soft goat cheese
palmful of chopped parsley (if you have it)
handful of grated parmesan

Heat a couple of small puddles of olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add shallots/onions and cook until softened. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about a minute. Add greens in handfuls, with a bit of salt, wilting. Continue until all of the greens are wilted. Remove to a cutting board, chop, and reserve.

Begin to heat a large pot of salted water at this point. Add the pasta once it boils and cook according to directions. When it is ready, reserve some of the cooking liquid and then drain.

If using mushrooms, add some butter to the same pan and heat. Add mushrooms and brown them. Then add a couple of splashes of wine (perhaps pouring some for yourself to enjoy at this point), raise the heat a bit, and cook until the wine reduces almost completely, stirring occasionally.

Once mushrooms are done, lower heat. Return the greens to the sauté pan. Add cooked pasta, a few splashes of cooking water and goat cheese in forkfuls. Stir until cheese is well distributed. Stir in parmesan. Remove from heat and add parsley and zest. Finish with a splash of lemon juice and serve with parmesan.

SPRING PEA RISOTTO

This I cobbled together from three recipes found in SIMPLY ORGANIC, BAREFOOT CONTESSA: BACK TO BASICS, and LOCAL FLAVORS. Our peas were at the end of their line and needed to be eaten, but still had a few shoots at the ends, so I wanted to use both of those. (You can sub frozen peas for the fresh, but it is awfully fun for kids to shuck peas. Spinach can be subbed for the pea shoots, but they are fun new thing to try.) Then I still had a few heads of sweet spring onions and green garlic from last week’s Farmers Market trip, and I have been hankering for Risotto – another one of those dishes, like soufflé, that can be intimidating. It does require that you prep everything in advance, and then just stir. But as Ina Garten says, that can be really theraputic.
Other spring veggies, like asparagus and mushrooms also work well, with lemon juice and zest to balance. Also, try other fresh herbs – though the peas and mint do work well together. This can be a great vegetarian main, with a salad, or as a hearty side.

2 – 4 spring onions (or leeks), quartered lengthwise and sliced
3 heads green garlic (or 5 – 6 cloves) minced
4 Tablespoons butter, divided
1 bunch pea shoots, large stems removed, very roughly chopped
½ cup white wine
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (if you don’t use low salt, don’t add much salt to the rest of the dish)
1 ½ cups fresh or frozen (thawed) peas
1 cup Arborio rice
3 – 5 oz. goat cheese (OR marscapone, or cream)
¼ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh mint, chopped (or lemon zest)

Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in large sauté pan. Add the onions and garlic and stir to coat. Add wine and cook over medium-low heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Add pea shoots and sauté for a couple of minutes, until wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.

Bring stock to a boil and then keep simmering on the stove. If using fresh peas, blanch them for a few minutes until they are done enough for you. (This removes a bit of the starch as well.) Set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a dutch oven or wide soup pot. Add rice and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until golden brown, stirring constantly. Begin adding stock, about ½ cup at a time, keeping it cooking at an active simmer and stirring continually until stock is absorbed. Continue adding stock in this fashion, until rice is cooked to al dente. Should take 20 – 30 minutes.

Stir in peas and onion mixture, stirring until all liquid is absorbed.

Remove from heat and add cheeses and herbs and salt and pepper to taste, folding them in until evenly distributed. Serve immediately.

ROASTED SPRING VEGETABLES OVER PASTA

I tried my friend Lauren Bone’s method of roasting vegetables and thought it was really effective. (I was suspicious at first – thought the steaming under the foil would overcook things and that the temperature was too low - I usually do mine at 425 degrees for a shorter time.) They add tofu to theirs – which I just wasn’t in the mood for – as well as a dash of cayenne pepper before roasting, and horseradish and mustard to the vinaigrette after roasting. Too spicy for me and my girls, but you should try it! Morgan absolutely loved this, Audrey extremely suspicious of it. She just has a hard time with things all mixed together.

Vegetables of choice, sliced or chopped into bite sized chunks: I used broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, brussel sprouts and skinny asparagus. Potatoes, onions, leeks, cauliflower are all possibilities as well.

Spread all vegetables, except asparagus, out in a single layer on rimmed baking sheets. Toss with olive oil, salt & pepper (and cayenne if you like). Cover with foil and bake at 385 degrees for 10 – 20 minutes (they should be starting to soften). Then remove foil, turn vegetables, add in asparagus, and roast another 15 – 20 minutes, uncovered. This should allow them to brown, crisp and dry out a bit.

Meanwhile, boil water for pasta of choice and cook according to package directions.

Prepare a BASIC VINIAGRETTE.

To assemble, drain pasta well and then return to its cooking pot. Pour several tablespoons of vinaigrette over the pasta and toss well. Add vegetables, grated parmesan and other cheese of choice (chunks of fresh mozzarella, feta or goat) and fold together. Serve immediately. Good for lunch the next day at room temperature.

LEMON FETTUCINE W/ BROCCOLI & PANCETTA

LEMON FETTUCINE W/ BROCCOLI & PANCETTA

I adapted this heavily from an Epicurious recipe – the preparation is quite similar to Russ Parson’s PASTA W/ BROCCOLI & SAUSAGE.

olive oil
4 ounces 1/4- to 1/3- inch-thick slices pancetta (Italian bacon) or thick-cut bacon slices, cut into 1/4- to1/3-inch cubes
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup white wine
1 lb. broccoli, florets cut away, stem peeled and chopped
8 – 10 ounces fresh or dried fettuccine
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy medium skillet. Sauté pancetta over medium-high heat until almost crisp and brown. Transfer to paper towels.

Add garlic to pan and sauté one minute, add wine, and de-glaze the pan, then turn up the heat and reduce the liquid by half.

Meanwhile, heat salted water in a large pot. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Add broccoli stems when pasta has about 6 minutes to go, add broccoli with about 3 minutes to go. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water and then drain pasta and broccoli.

Pour pasta and broccoli into skillet. Drizzle lemon juice and some oil over them and then toss with thyme, zest and garlic mixture over low heat. Add pasta water and heat over higher temperature until pasta is coated and liquid is again reduced. Add next 5 ingredients. Toss over low heat to coat. Add pancetta and cheese; toss to blend. Season pasta with pepper and serve with more grated Parmesan on top.

PASTA WITH BROCCOLI & ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Adapted from ARuss Parsons LA Times article. I made a few changes to proportions – more meat & veg and less pasta -- and shortened the cooking time for the broccoli. We both suggest other variations: using rapini or greens as the veg, and/or eliminating the meat and adding capers and olives. You can also add goat cheese at the end for a creamy sauce.

1 large or 2 small heads broccoli (about 1 pound)
1 lb. fresh Italian sausage (I used chicken Sweet Italian from TJ’s)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 lb. dried short pasta, such as fusilli, penne, or ziti; or long dried pasta such as spaghetti
Salt, pepper
1 ounce Pecorino Romano cheese (I used whatever Parmesan I had)

Bring a large pot of liberally salted water to a boil. While the water is heating, clean the broccoli: Separate the florets from the stems and set them aside. Remove the tough peel of the stems with a paring knife or vegetable peeler, then cut the stems into half-inch cubes. Remove the casings from the sausage.

Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and crumble the sausage meat into the oil, flattening each piece slightly so it will brown better. Cook until the sausage browns and crisps. Lower the heat a little, add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic turns pale brown, about 5 minutes. Do not let the garlic scorch; if it begins to brown, remove the pan from the heat.

Add the pasta to the boiling water. After about a minute, add the broccoli stems. After 8 minutes, add the broccoli florets and cook until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes total. Scoop out a half cup or so of the pasta water and then drain the pasta and broccoli.

Place the skillet over high heat and add the drained broccoli and pasta to the sausage and garlic. Add one-half cup boiling water from the pasta pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until the water mostly boils away, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and a good grinding of black pepper. Shave pecorino Romano over the top of each serving with a vegetable peeler.